Internal-combustion engine



R. F. GILVE. INTERNAL comausnou ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 9, 1916.

Patented Mar. 30, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

R. F. GILE.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 9'. 19.16.

1,335,326. E Patented Mar- 30, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

R.- F. GIL

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGHJE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 9, 1916.

1,335,326. Patented Mar; 30, 1920s 4 SHEETS--SHEET 3.

/aM7-.-m

R. F. GILE.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FI'LED MAY 9. 1916.

. 3 3 5, Patented Mar. 30, 1920.

*4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD F. CHILE/F CLIFTONDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO GEORGE K. WOODWORTH, TRUSTEE, 0F BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

. bustion Engines, of which the following is my invention as defined by the porting the cylinder 3, the ends of which,

a specification.

My invention relates to internal combustion engines and more especially to doubleacting enginesv of the combined pump and motor cylinder type, and its object is to provide a simple and efficient means connected directly to the main cross-head for controlling themotion of the sub-piston.

The drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification show an illustrative embodiment of my invention, but it is to be understood that the construction heree in-particularly described lmay be widely varied without departing from the scope of appended claims. 7

In the drawings Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section of a single-acting engine embodying my im-. proved sub-piston control. Fig. 2 is a cen tral longitudinal section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is'a transverse section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Figsi, 5, 6 and 7 are diagrams showing the positions of the movingparts at various points in the cycle.

In the particular drawings selected for more fully disclosing my invention, 1 re resents a frame having a horizontal cran shaft 2 suitably journaled therein and supin the present instance, are provided with a number of parallel fuel passages or flutes 4c, 4 arranged lengthwise in its bore and communicating with the combustion chambers A A respectively. While I do not limit myself to the number of flutes that may be employed I have found that from. sixteen to twenty, more or less, give good results. Arranged to reciprocate within the cylinder is a sub-piston consisting of two heads 5, 5- rigidly connected by the rods 6, and the lower head is connected to or integral with the hollow piston rod or a sleeve 7, which in turn is secured to the.

cross-head 8 guided in the ways 9 on the engine frame. Arranged to reciprocate withinthe cylinder and between the heads Specification of Letters Patent.

-ta'ined ,in the space of the sub-piston is a power piston 10 connected to or integral with the piston-rod 11 which'passes axially through the lower head of the sub-piston and the hollow piston-rod 7 and is secured at its lower end to the crosshead 12 guidedfby the ways 9. The hub of the pitman 13 is pivotally connected to the cross-head 12 by the hollow wrist pin 14: arranged between the sides of said crosshead and inclosing the rock-shaft 15, the

ends of which project beyond the cross-head and to which the arms 16 are secured by the keys 17. The box of the pitman engages the wrist pin 18 of the crank 19, which, as shown, is integral with the power shaft.

Pivotally connected with studs 20 projecting from the cross-head 8 are connecting rods 21,.the lower ends of which pivotally engage studs 22extending outwardly from the arms' 16, the inner faces of which are vprovided with slots 23 adapted to receive the sliding blocks 24 pivoted to the arms 25 of the rock-shaft 26, the latter being journaled in the engine frame.

I The cylinder is provided with exhaust passages 27, 27 controlled by the inwardly Patented Mar. 30, 1920.

Application filed May 9, 1916. Serial No. 96,424.

opening valves 28, 28 normally held on their respective seats by the springs 29, 29

which surround the valve stems and have their ends bearing against the outer walls of the exhaust passages and the collars 30, 30 on the valve stems. Any suitable mechanism may be employed to raise the valves from their s'eatsat the'proper times. 7 A fuel inlet 31 located substantially midway between the ends of the cylinder may be connected to any suitable source of fuel.

By means of the flutes or fuel passages 4, 4 I secure an intimate and substantially perfectmixture of the fuel charge and this results in practically complete-combustion. As the power piston approaches the advancing head of the subiston, the charge con etween these two elements is compressed and forced by such compression around said head through the restricted passage afforded by the flutes or fuel passages and-is shot with great force against the cylinder head in a number of relatively small streams.

An explosion of the compressed charge in either combustion chamber acts directly on the adjacent head of the sub-piston and by the latter is communicated to the power two pistons shall travel at the same rate of speed without the slightest relative movement until the sub-piston shall have covered the inner ends of the adjacent set of flutes. The reason for this will be obvious from an inspection of Fig. 1 in which the parts are shown in the position occupied immediately prior to ignition in the combustion chamber A. Should the power piston begin to move away from the upper head 5 of the sub-piston before the latter covers the inner ends of the flutes 4, a portion of the effect of the explosion will be exerted against the lower face of said head 5 in opposition to the force exerted on the up er face thereof. It is essential also that the subsequent relative movement between the pistons be created positively.

The positive relative movement of the sub-piston with respect to the power piston is created by the main cross-head 12 which communicates the necessary motion to the sub-piston through the arms 16 and connecting rods 21, such motion being regulated by the rock-shaft 26 and arms '25 thereof which cooperate with said arms 16 by the block and slot connection A, above described.

When both pistons are at the upper end I of their strokes, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2,

i Cn

and the charge compressed in the combustion chamber A, the valve 28 being closed and the valve 28 open or about to open, the charge is fired and the resulting explosion causes both pistons to descend at the same initial rate of speed and without any relative movement until the crank which rotates in the direction of the arrow has arrived at about 90 degrees from its initial position shown in Fig. 1 whereupon the sub pistonbegins to lag and the power piston,

continuing its descent, begins to move away from its upper head and approach its lower head. It will be understood however "that by varying the proportions of the several elements the'point at which the pistons begin to separate may be (lOllGSPOINllDglY altered. The sub-piston on its down-stroke will drive the burnt gases of the preceding explosion out of the combustion chamber A and through the exhaust passage 27'. As shown in Fig. 1, the blocks 24 are at or near the outer ends of their respective recesscs when the sub-piston is in explosion position at the upper end of its stroke, and, as will be obvious, said blocks will move toward the innner ends of said recesses as the cross-head 12 descends until shortly after the crank has passed to the position shown in Fig. 4, whereupon said blocks will again travel toward the outer ends of said recesses. WVhen the crank 18 about 90 degrees from initial position (see Fig. 5) the blocks 2 L have arrived at the outer ends of their recesses, and thereafter and until the crank is 180 degrees from initial posi- Fig. 1, the blocks 24 movement of the within the trailing end tion the arms 25 remains practically stationary and the arms 16 swing around the pivotal connection and the blocks 2& (see Figs. 6 and 7), thereby retarding the speed of the sub-piston. \Vhen the sub-piston has reached the end of its down-stroke, the head. 5 occupies the same position with respect to the adjacent flutes 1 as the head 5 with respectto the flutes +1 in the position shown in being at the outer end? of their cooperatingrecesses, and the power piston has arrived at the end of its downstroke, the lower face of said power piston at this instant being substantially in contact with the upper face of the lower head 5.

It will be noted that while the relative pistons is created positively, the sub-piston is free from the moment of explosion until the moment the blocks :24: reach the ends of their recesses,

and that therefore the sub-piston is under positive control throughout a substantial portion of the cycle.

Immediately after the power piston on its down-stroke has uncovered the fuel inlet 31, the retardation of the sub-piston and the consequent relative movement between it and the power piston begins, and such relative movement creates a partial vacuum. of the sub-piston, drawing a charge of fuel through said inlet into the space between the head 5 of the sub-piston and the upper face of the power piston. At the same time the power piston compresses the charge in the advancing end of the sub-piston, the space between the lower head 5 and the lower face of the power piston, a charge of fuel having been drawn iiito said space'on the preceding upstroke of thepistons. A portion of this charge so compressed by the power piston passes through the flutes-41 into the combustion chamber A and pneumatically expels the small remaining portion of the burnt gas in said combustion chamber that was not mechanically expelled by the action of the sub-piston, thereby completing the scavenging of said combustion chamber.

The valve 28 now closes and the power piston continues its downward stroke, further compressing the charge and driving the same with great force through the flutes 4 into the combustion chamber A thereby shooting the charge against the cylinder head in a plurality of relatively small streams.

The compressed charge is now exploded, the valve 28 opening slightly prior to the. explosion. Both pistons rise at the same rate of speed until the crank has advanced about 270 degrees from initial position whereupon, by virtue of the mechanism already described, the speed of the sub-piston is retarded and relative movement between the between said arms pistons begins, such relative movement effecting the compression of the charge in the advancing end of the sub-piston and the induction of a charge'in its trailing end. The relative posit-ions'of the several linkage elements during the upstroke are substam tially the same as on the down stroke.

effected mechanically and pneumatically in the manner above set forth with reference to the chamber A and the charge compressed bet-ween the upper face of the power piston and the upper head 5 of the sub-piston is driven through the flutes 4 into the combus-' and with the tion chamber A in the manner result above specified in connection with the down-stroke of the piston. Ignition then occurs again and the cycle is repeated, there being one explosion at each end of every stroke or two'per shaft. I

WVhile I have described in detail the relative movement of the parts which I have found to be satisfactory in practice, it will be understood that I do not limit myself specifically thereto, for said parts may be variously adjusted and timed and other cycles may be effected.

I claim:

1. An internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder, a power piston anda subpiston both arranged to reciprocate within said cylinder, a cross-head, means connecting said power piston to said cross-head, and means connected directly to said cross-head for retarding the speed of said sub-piston near the end of its stroke. 7 a

2. An internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder, a power piston and a subpiston both arranged to reciprocate within said cylinder, a cross-head, means connecting said power piston to said cross-head, and means connected directly to said cross-head for permitting movement of said pistons at the same initial rate of speed without relative movement and for causing, subsequently, positive relative movement between the same.

3. An' internal combustion engine conirisin a c linder a ower iston and a sub piston both arranged to reciprocate within said cylinder, a cross-head, means connecting said power piston to said cross-head and means connected directly to said cross-head for permitting movement of said piston initially at the same'rate of speed without relative movement and for causing said pistons, subsequently, to move at different rates of speed.

4. An internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder, a power piston and'a subpiston botharranged to reciprocate within said cylinder,across-head, means connecting said power piston tosaid cross-head,"means connected directly permitting same initial rate of speed without relatlve The scavenging of the combustion chamber'A is revolution'of the crankfuel in prising a cylinder having to said cross-head for movement of said pistons at the movement, and for causing, subsequently, positive relative movement between the same, and means whereby the charge of fuel in said cylinder ,7 is transferred under pressure from the space between said pistons through a restricted passage to the combustion chamber.

An internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder, a power piston and a subpiston both arranged to reciprocate within said cylinder, a cross-head, means connecting said power piston to said cross-head, means connected directly to said cross-head for permitting movement'of said pistons at the same initial rate of speed without relative movement, and for causing, subsequently, positive relative movement between the same, and means whereby the charge of said cylinder is mixed during compression. 4

6., An internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder, apower piston and a subpiston both arranged to reciprocate within said cylinder, a cross-head, means connecting. said power piston to said crosshead, means connected directly to said cross-head for permitting movement of said pistons at the same initial rate of speed without relativemovement and for causing, subsequently, positive relative movement between the same, and means whereby the charge of fuel in said cylinder is transferred under pressure from the space between said pistons to the combustion chamber in a plurality of relatively small streams.

7 An internal combustion engine coma plurality of fuel passages arranged lengthwise in its bore at one end thereof,'a power piston and a subpiston both arranged to reciprocate within said cylinder, a cross-head, means connecting said power piston to said cross-head and means-connected directly to said cross-head for permitting movement of said pistons at the same initial rate of speed without relative movement and for causing, subsequently, positive relative movement between the same. V r

8, An internal combustion engine comprisin'ga cylinder having a plurality of fuel passages arranged in its bore near one end thereof, said. fuel passages communicating with the combustion chamber-of the engine,

a power ranged to reciprocate piston and a sub-piston both arwithin said cylinder, a cross-headt-means connecting said power piston-to said cross-head and means connected directly to said cross-head for permitting movement of said pistons at the same initial rate of speed without relative movement and for causing, subsequently, positive relative movement between the/same. Y

9. An internal. combustion engine comprising a cylinder, a power piston and a sub- -piston both arranged to reciprocate within piston arranged to reciprocate within said sub-piston, said sub-piston comprising two heads, one on each side of said power piston,

means rigidly connecting said heads, a main cross-head, means connecting said power piston to said cross-head, a sub piston crosshead, means connecting said sub-piston, to said sub-piston cross-head, and means connected directly, toboth of said cross-heads for retarding the speed of said sub-piston near each end of its stroke.

11. An internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder, a power piston and a subpiston both arranged to reciprocate Within said cylinder, a main cross-head, means connecting said power piston to said main crosshead, a sub piston cross-head, means connecting said sub-piston to said sub-piston cross-head, a rock-shaft journaled in said main cross-head, an arm on said rock-shaft, a rod pivotally connected to said arm and said sub-piston cross-head, a rock-shaft having a fixed journal, an arm' on said rock: shaft,and means efi'ecting a sliding connection between said arms.

12. An internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder, a power piston and a subpiston both arranged to reciprocate within said cylinder, a cross-head, means connecting said power piston to said cross-head and means connected directly to said cross-head for permitting said pistons to travel at the same rate of speed until the sub-piston arrives near the end of its stroke and then retarding the speed, of said sub-piston.

13. An internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder, a sub-piston arranged to reciprocate within said cylinder, a power piston arranged to reciprocate within said subiston, said sub-piston comprising two hea s, one on each side of said powerpiston,

means rigidly connecting said heads, a cross-- head, means connecting said power piston to said cross-head and means connected directly to said crosshead for permitting movement of said pistons at the same initial rate of speed without relative movement and for causing, subsequently, positive relative movement between the same.

14. An internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder, a sub-piston arranged to reciprocate within said cylinder, 8. power head, means connecting said power piston quently, to move at different rates of speed.

.to said cross-head, means connecteddirectly head, means connecting said power piston to piston arranged to reciprocate within said sub-piston, said sub-piston comprising two heads, one on each side of said power-piston, means rigidly connecting said heads, a crossto said cross-head and means connected directly to said cross-head for permitting movement of said pistons initially at the same rate of speed without relative movement and for causing said pistons, subse- 7 5 15. An internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder, a sub-pistonarranged to reciprocate within said cylinder, a power piston arranged to reciprocate within said sub-piston, said sub-piston comprising two heads, one on each. side of said power-piston, means rigidly connecting said heads, a crosshead, means connecting said power piston to said cross-head for pennittingimovement. of said pistons at the same initialzrate of speed wlthout relative movement an d causing, subsequently, positive relative ment between the same, and means whreby' g o the charge of fuel in said-.cylind-eri gtrans ferred under pressure from the spa'ce" be tween said sub-piston and power piston throu h a restricted passage to the combustion 0 amber.

16. An internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder, a sub-piston arranged, to

reciprocate within said cylinder, a power piston arranged to reciprocate within said sub-piston, said sub-piston comprising two heads, one on each side of said power piston, means rigidly connecting said heads, a cross said cross-head, means connected directly to said crdss-head for permitting movement'of said pistons at the same initial rate of speed without relative movement and for causing, subsequently, positive relative movement between the same, and means whereby the charge of fuel in said cylinder is transferred .110 under pressure from the space between said sub-piston and power piston to the combustion chamber in a plurality of relatively small streams.

17 An internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder, a power piston and a subpiston both arranged to reciprocate within said cylinder,'a cross-head, means connecting said power piston to said cross-head, means for permitting the sub-piston to travel in contact with the power piston during a substantial portion of the powerstroke and for causing, subsequently, positive relative movement between said pistons, and a member connecting said means to said crosshead. a

18. An internal combustion engine comprising a, cylinder, a power piston and a subpiston both arranged to reciprocate within said cylinder, a cross-head, means for =controlling said sub-piston positively during a, subscribed my name this 22nd day of April, substantial portion of the cycle and for re- 1916. tarding its speed near the end of its stroke, RICHARD F GILE a member connecting said means to said i 5 cross-head, and means connecting said power Witnesses: piston to said cross-head. GEO. K WoonwoR'rH, In testimony whereof, I have hereunto E. B. TOMLINSQN. V 

